The Little Emerald
by Sea and Chaos
Summary: It was Dudley's seventh birthday, so of course he wants to go to the most popular place in town. Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. Mrs. Figg is away for the week, so no one is available to watch Harry. When Dudley gets angry at Foxy for playing with his cousin, he storms onto the stage of Pirate Cove. Then, Foxy starts to malfunction, and his jaw bites down into Dudley's head.
1. Harry becomes Emerald

**_AN: Hi! I am here with a story, which I have no intention of abandoning. I also_** ** _might_** ** _revive Loki's Punishment, but that is on the rocks. I have all the books, but I still don't own Harry Potter. And I've never even played the game, or watched it be played. I could never have came up with all of this amazing-ness._**

 ** _Giada Draven, out._**

It was Dudley's birthday. _Great,_ thought Harry. _Where is he wanting to go this time?_ Poor Harry knew that something bad was going to happen. For some reason, Harry didn't like the number seven. This was 'Dudders' seventh birthday, so of course something was going to go wrong.

Somehow, he was allowed to go with the Dursley's; mainly because Mrs. Figg, his cat loving babysitter, was sick and unable to watch him. So, now, they had to take him with them, even though they knew he was going to ruin their 'Ickle Diddykins' party. They had booked to have the party rooms of _Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria_ all to themselves, because Dudley had complained that one of his friends had their party there before he could. So now, all of the Harry Hunting crew were staring at him like wolves would look at meat. But Harry was having fun, for the first time he can remember.

Harry was sitting in front of Foxy, who was easily his favorite of those in the Pizzeria. He gave everyone attention, even if they 'didn't deserve it'. The trio onstage, Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica, didn't pay attention to anyone, they just kept on playing their upbeat songs. Harry thought it was wonderful, but Dudley thought otherwise. He wanted the most attention, because he was the 'special birthday boy'.

 _As if,_ Harry thought as Dudley marched into Pirate Cove and glared at the animatronic. "Why are you talking to the _freak_? _I'm_ the special one!" Dudley jumped onto stage and put his face in front of Foxy's. He kept ranting, until, "And another thi-AHHHHH!" Dudley shouted when Foxy bit down into his head. All of the children ran away, and adult stepped forward to try to help Dudley. Harry just sat there, staring in shock. Then his gaze turned fearful, because he had seen his Uncle Vernon's expression; he knew that he was either going to die or be abandoned. Harry hoped it was the later, then he would have the chance of surviving.

Vernon angrily waddled over, whisper-yelling," Boy! What do you think you are doing?! You hurt Dudley! That's it. You are staying here. I don't want you anywhere near my family ever again. Goodbye, _Freak._ " Vernon hissed out the last word, then stalked to where his wife stood with the paramedics.

Harry hid. It was what he was best at, after all. He found a box, and stayed there for several hours. The next thing he knew, he was being shaken awake. "Alright," he said. "I'm up. I'll go make breakfast now." Harry had said this without thinking. He then noticed that A) he was not in his cupboard and B), that was not Aunt Petunia. Upon looking up(and realizing that he slept with his glasses on), he saw that he was woken by the animatronics.

To most people, this would be scary; but, Harry found this oddly comforting. However, he bolted towards the wall. Even if they are comforting, you can never be too cautious. "What are you doing here? How did you find me? Is… Is Uncle Vernon still out there? Are you going to take me to him so that he can kill me?" With each question, Harry became more hysterical. If Vernon ever saw him again, he would ring his neck.

Freddy went towards the distraught by carefully. "Son, we aren't going to hurt you," he said with a vaguely Scottish accent. "We don't know who this Vernon is, but with the way you're speaking, I don't want you to see him again. Now hop on up so we can get a good look at you." The chestnut coloured bear offered his paw to the boy.

Harry looked at Freddy, who showed a concerned look on his face, and then carefully studied Bonnie and Chica, who were standing farther away than the brown animatronic. Chica smiled warmly, and Bonnie gave a little wave. Finally, he took Freddy's paw and let himself be lifted up. "What now? Normally people don't like me, so I don't really know what to do now." Harry thought about it for a moment, then asked," Do you think I could stay here? I mean, I could make all the food I would need, as well as clean everything. I can always do any chores necessary…" He trailed off. _If I show that I'm not a burden,_ he thought, _they might let me stay here with them. I might even get to have friends!_ Harry thought that would be amazing. The animatronics shared a look that clearly said,' _What did his family do to him?'_

Chica stepped towards him with a smile, so that he wouldn't see her worry. "Sweetheart, you don't have to worry about that. I cook, and the janitors clean up what messes there are. You can stay here if you want to, but what about your family?" She spoke with an American accent, like those kind mothers that the television showed.

All the animals looked to Harry, wanting to know why he was abandoned by the ones he came with. "Well, my parents were drunks who got killed in a car wreck, giving me my scar,"-here he lifted up his bangs.-" because I was in the car with them. I got dumped with my Aunt and Uncle, so they made me earn my keep. I slept in the cupboard under the stairs, because I didn't 'deserve' a room. This is the first time I've been to a restaurant. So, do I really get to stay?" Harry kept a straight face the entire time, mainly because he was telling the truth.

Meanwhile, the animatronics were having a conversation with looks. The gist of it went: _If we see them again, they are going the route of the night guards._ (Chica) **Deal, I say we stuff them into the special suits.** (Bonnie) I agree, but for now we need to convince this child that he is better than them. Wait, we forgot to get his name. (And Freddy).

"Son," Freddy started, "What is your name? I don't believe you told us." Looking at the child, he could tell that it seemed to be the first time someone cared enough to ask. Harry was over the moon because someone actually wanted to know. He doesn't usually care, but it still meant a lot to him.

"My name is Harry Potter. I know all of you because of today, but where did they take Foxy? Will he be okay?" He was very worried about his favorite animatronic, because he knew the adults would not like what happened to Dudley.

Bonnie skipped(read: hopped) over to Harry and threw him onto his shoulders. "I get a new brother! Finally! And don't worry, the most they will do to Foxy is put him 'out of order' for a little while, until this whole thing blows over. Besides, he doesn't like performing that much anyway. He just likes seeing the children happy." Bonnie then bounced around the pizzeria, showing Harry everything that was in there. Including the room were the animatronics stuffed the night guards into suits.

"Why do you do that?" Harry asked.

"Because adults never want to help you. You can only depend on yourself, so you shouldn't believe them if they say that they are helping you. The night guards are there to make sure we don't do anything 'odd' at night, so we make it as 'odd' for them as we can." Bonnie seemed to age as he said that, but then cheered up towards the end; because, he had thought of Harry helping them.

Harry agreed, adults can never be trusted.

It was a few days later that Harry found a way to help. He was hanging out in the room where all the suits were kept, when he found one the exact same size as him. It was a miniature Foxy, complete with an eyepatch and hook. Harry wished that he could wear it, but he had been warned to be careful around the suits. If he were to get in one and it snapped shut, he would be killed, and it wouldn't be a guarantee that his spirit would attach itself to the suit like the others.

They had told him about the purple guy, and how they were stuffed into the suits. The others had worried about how he would react, but he had only hugged each of them and told them that even though he hated that they had died, he was happy that they were there.

Today was the day that Foxy was set to come back, the bite having been played of as a bug in his programing, and Harry wanted to make a good impression. The suit would be perfect, if only he could wear it without dying. Harry wished so much that he could, but he knew better than to try. Looking into the suit to look at the springs and crossbars, Harry was surprised to find that there wasn't any. He closed his eyes then reopened them, thinking that it was a trick of the light, but the inner workings were still gone. He carefully stuck his hand in, prepared to pull back if it snapped shut. Slowly, he made his way into the mini Foxy, checking every corner for any kind of machine. As soon as he was wearing the suit, the seams closed and he was trapped. Soon, he realized that he wasn't actually trapped; he was now wearing a costume instead of the suit, and it had turned black with emerald streaks. Harry loved it, but wished that he could also look like Chica, Bonnie and Freddy sometimes. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he changed into the others, one at a time.

Instinctively changing into Foxy, Harry hid until it was night time. It being Sunday, there was no night guard to worry about, so he came out into the main dining area when everyone was out there, including Foxy who had been told that there was a surprise for him. He had snuck up behind Bonnie and yelled," Surprise!"

Bonnie jumped and tried to run away, while Freddy and Chica looked at him in fright for another reason. "Harry, sweetheart," said Chica. "What are you doing? How are you in a suit? We told you to stay out of those, please tell me you didn't and this is a nightmare." She looked like she was seriously hoping it was some kind of joke.

"Mu- I mean, Chica; I'm okay. I was looking for a way to impress Foxy, when I found a mini Foxy suit and wished that it was safe for me wear, and suddenly there were no cross bars or wires. I checked before I put it on, but then it turned into a cloth costume that has a removable head and everything. It was red like Foxy, but then it was black and green. So, what do you think?" _I really hope they like it and aren't mad at me,_ thought Harry.

Foxy looked at the small child that the music crew seemed to have adopted, and immediately could tell that he was trying so hard to impress him. "Lad," he said. "'Tis adorable on ye. I sure hope that ye can take it off. Now can I see what ye look like under tha' mask of your's."

Harry perked up. "Of course," he said, lifting his arms to pull of the face. Seeing it come off, the band sighed in relief. They really had worried that he had gotten trapped and his mind had come up with an excuse for him being able to move. Now, they just wanted to have a good night off.

The first time that anyone saw Harry in costume was two months later. Harry was goofing around in Pirate Cove with Foxy, when he stumbled out of the curtain. Immediately, he tried to sneak back, but a couple of kids had already seen him. They crowded around and, unknowingly, hid him from the view of any adults.

"Who are you?" one asked.

"Yeah, we've never seen you before," the other said. The two looked at each other, then looked back.

"Are you a new one?" they asked at the same time, perfectly in sync.

Harry backed away from them, stammering out," We- well, yes. I guess you c- could say that." He tried to run back, but the second one, who had mousy brown hair and brown eyes, grabbed his arm to hold him back.

"Well? What is your name, then?" The younger one stared at him. Obviously, he was the other one's younger brother.

"I don't exactly have one. I'm not supposed to be out here, so I ought to go back now…" Harry really wanted to play with someone his own age, but he knew that it would be a bad idea. He didn't want to be sent back to the Dursley's, after all.

"I have an idea," said the younger one. He seemed about two or three, while his brother/cousin looked about six. "What if we told you our names, and then gave you a name. I would hate not having a name." He seemed about ready to cry at the thought of it.

Harry thought for a moment. _It would be cool to have a name different than just 'Harry'._ "Sure," he said. "Now you go ahead and tell me your names." _They seem really friendly after they learned that I wasn't an adult._

The elder one spoke. "Well, my name is Colin Creevey, and this is my brother Dennis. Now, Dennis, what do you think his name should be? It should fit the theme."

Dennis adopted a thoughtful look. "What about Emrald?"

Colin looked down at him. "Do you mean Emerald?" Here Dennis nodded. "That would suit him. Okay, your name is now Emerald, animatronic in training."

Harry smiled at them kindly. "Thank you. It's nice to have a name. I hope you guys come back, because I think I see your mother coming this way. It would be a bad idea for the adults to see me. Bye!" Harry rushed out, because the boy's mother truly was coming that way. He hurriedly hopped back through the curtain of Pirate Cove, smiling all the while. _I think that I like having friends._

Harry finally showed off his little 'secret' several months later, when the animatronics had finally gotten him to tell them his birthday. They had missed it, but to them it meant that they were going to have an even bigger party than they had planned on. They had decided that their gift to him would be his first try at getting the night guard.

At 1 A.M., the night guard was worried. None of the animatronics had moved; Foxy hadn't so much as peaked outside the curtains the entire night and the others were still staring straight ahead. He flipped through the cameras, finding everyone still in place, but then he checked the dining area. There, stood a miniature Foxy, who was black with green streaks through it's fur. The guard stared for a moment, but then remembered that there were the other animatronics to worry about.

They still hadn't moved, but when he looked again, the small fox was gone. Checking his door lights, he found that instead of the little fox, there was now a black feathered chicken, complete with a green bib with bubbly black letters saying 'LET'S EAT!'. He tried to slam the door, but it wouldn't budge. He stared in horror, because he knew what was going to happen. However, he didn't expect for there to be a delay.

"Hello," said a young child's voice. "I'm Emerald. Before we kill you, I want to play hide-and-seek. The others all agreed to play, so that it won't be boring. I'll be it, so I'll stand here for a few seconds so that it is fair. When everyone is found, we will go choose your new suit. Okay?" The voice coming from the robot was excited. If it wasn't for the parts about killing him, the guard would have believed that it was just a child in costume. He didn't know how right he was.

The guard nodded, trying to stay alive for as long as he could. "Uh, excuse me. But, are there any rules?" After all, if it acted like a child, it would probably come up with the same rules that a child would.

"Well," the robot, Emerald, started. "Well, you can't leave the building, silly!" Emerald was very happy that the guard was playing along. "Ready?" he asked.

The guard nodded, humouring the small animatronic. "Okay! I'll count to twenty, so you better start running! Haha!" Emerald stated counting slowly, giving the guard a chance to make the game more interesting.

The guard ran, as asked. After all, he didn't know what to expect from this odd, changing, animatronic. He ran as quickly as he could, and hid in the storage closet. As he passed the dining area, he noticed that the animatronics were all gone. Even Foxy's curtains were open, but the pirate was nowhere to be seen.

He heard a happy voice cry out, "Twenty! Ready or not, here I come!" The guard started to be thankful that he had no one to go home to. His family was dead, and he had no friends. He hadn't had the will to keep going anymore, so he had taken this deadly job. He knew that, no matter what, he wouldn't be leaving here come morning.

Oddly enough, the guard lasted the longest. While Emerald was looking, he turned into a mini Bonnie. He was, per usual, black furred with green eyes. He was holding a guitar that was in the same style as Bonnie's. It was neon green, with black designs all over it. He found all of the others, surprising them with the new look, and then turned towards the only place he had not checked yet. The storage closet.

Emerald flickered, turning into Freddy. He had the same colour scheme as he normally did, but his top hat was green with a black ribbon tied around it. When he reached the door, he started playing The Toreador March. Upon opening the door, he found the guard sitting cross-legged, looking for all the world as if he had fallen asleep.

The guard slowly opened his eyes and stood up, following the animatronics to the room where the spare suits were kept.

"So," Emerald started. "Which do you like the most? Foxy, Chica, Bonnie, Freddy, or Goldie?" Emerald looked at him waiting for the guard to pick his favorite.

The guard looked at him, and told him," I don't care." He wore a resigned look on his face. If he was going to die, he didn't want to choose how he did so.

Emerald stared towards, him confused, but shrugged it off.

The next morning, the janitors were disgruntled to find a bloodied Freddy suit waiting for them.

After that night, Emerald and the animatronics decided to work together from then on. If the guard came back for more than four nights, then Emerald would get to have fun with them. if they didn't lock him out, then they would get to play a little game with him before they were stuffed.

They had so much fun. Emerald eventually started calling Chica 'Momma', and Foxy 'Papa'. everyone laughed a lot after that, but they were his family. Freddy was like the fun uncle who took care of him, while bonnie was the little brother who wanted nothing but to have fun.

It turned routine for them to play and have fun at night. It was one massive game of tag combined with hide and seek, trying to find the guard. They were all happy. They were together. And then Emerald turned eleven.


	2. Mike Appears

**AN: Hello everyone! I have been working on this forever. I finally got it out. To Matt, the guest, you can go stuff yourself in a suit. I will update when I am finished writing it. I hope you guys like it!**

 **I own nothing.**

 **Giada Draven, out!**

Mike Schmidt was not happy. His life was crap, and no one cared anymore. Plus, he had a criminal record, so he could not find a good job anywhere. Then, he saw the ad for Freddy's Pizzeria. If he got hired, he would be working as the night guard. It only paid $120 a week, which was below minimum wage, but he needed everything he could get at this point.

So, he called to ask for an interview. Instead, the moment he said he was interested, he was given the job. It was suspicious, but he didn't question it. After all, a job's a job. So, he went there at 11AM, an hour before his shift, so that he could get a feel for the layout of the place.

Upon arriving, he opened the doors using the keys he was given, and made sure that he brought in the snack he had packed. Knowing him, he would get hungry 3 hours later, so he had packed a few sandwiches. He placed the small sack next to the door in his office, and then went exploring.

In the dining area, the band were all on stage and Foxy's curtains were closed. Standing outside of Pirate Cove was Emerald, a small animatronic who had just appeared one day(according to management). He was the favorite of most kids, because he 'listened to what they had to say'. However, it seemed like the little thing was selective about who it talked to; it seemed to be frozen whenever adults were around. Except for at night, of course. It could somehow change how it looked, and had more than it's fair share of blood on it's hands… paws… things.

When he got back to his office, it was a few minutes to midnight, and, whether or not Mike noticed this, one of his sandwiches were missing. As soon as it hit midnight, the phone rang, causing Mike to jump in fright.

" _Hello, hello?"_ said a recording that played when he answered the phone. " _Uh, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night. Um, I actually worked in that office before you.I'm finishing up my last week now, as a matter of fact. So, I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm here to tell you there's nothing to worry about. Uh, you'll do fine. So, let's just focus on getting you through your first week. Okay?"_

"Well, thank you, phone guy," said Mike as he checked the cameras. Everything was still in place, but Emerald had already changed from a fox into a chicken.

" _Uh, let's see, first there's an introductory greeting from the company that I'm supposed to read. Uh, it's kind of a legal thing, you know. Um, 'Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person report will be filled within 90 days, or as soon as property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced.' "_

Mike looked up at that. "Wait a second."

Phone Guy kept him from continuing. " _Blah blah blah, Now that might sound bad, I know, but there's really nothing to worry about. Uh, the animatronic characters here you get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them? No. If I were forced to sing those same stupid songs for 20 years and I never got a bath? I'd probably be a bit irritable at night too. So, remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay."_

"Fine then," said Mike, who kept checking the cameras. Bonnie had already left the stage, but was easily found in the dining area. He then checked on Foxy and saw that the curtains hadn't moved. Emerald still stood there, now as a rabbit.

" _So, just be aware, the characters do tend to wander a bit. Uh, they're left in some kind of free roaming mode at night. Uh, something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long. Uh, they used to be allowed to walk around during the day too. But then there was The Bite of '87. Yeah. I-It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?"_

Mike had a deadpan look on his face, even though no one else was around. "Yeah, it's amazing. Even though that Dursley group tried to sue the entire company to hell and back. If they had gotten what they wanted, Fazbear Entertainment would have declared bankruptcy." Even Mike, who was antisocial, had heard about that.

" _Uh, now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uh, if they happen to see you after hours probably won't recognize you as a person. They'll p-most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without it's suit on. Now since that's against the rules here at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, they'll probably try to… forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazbear suit. Um, now, that wouldn't be so bad if the suits themselves weren't filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort… and death. Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask, heh."_

"Well that was reassuring," said Mike, checking the cameras once more. Bonnie was in the backstage area, standing right next to an endoskeleton. It seemed as if the rabbit was trying to prove Phone Guy wrong.

Foxy was peeking out of Pirate Cove, the light of his eyes the only thing visible. Emerald was mini Foxy once more, and looked like he was about to run off somewhere. His metallic hook was raised, and he was facing the direction of the bathrooms.

Phone Guy kept on talking through all of this. " _Y-yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up. But hey, first day should be a breeze. I'll chat with you tomorrow. Uh, check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, goodnight."_ The message ended with that.

Mike slowly formed a routine through the night. Camera, door lights, close left for Bonnie, camera again, Foxy is running so better shut the door, door lights, Chica is on the right. At 6AM, he had about 24% power, so he figured that he did okay. Packing up, he goes to grab his uneaten sandwiches, but finds that they are gone. He shrugged it off, thinking that he may have imagined bringing anything to eat.

As he left, there was an odd envelope sitting outside the door. The address reads:

 _Mr. H. Potter_

 _Pirate Cove_

 _23 Freeman St._

 _London, England_

He didn't know what to think, so he just took it back inside and put it by Emerald. "Do you know anyone named 'H. Potter'?" asked Mike, getting no reply. "Of course not. I'm going to leave this here, because this is where it was addressed. Bye." Mike walked back out again, heading home. He didn't notice that the sandwiches he had brought were sitting on the lip of the stage, 2 gone and one half eaten.

Emerald didn't have time to ask the others about the letter before it was time to get in places, so he just picked it up and waited in his spot for the regulars to come by. The regulars consisted of Dennis and Colin, as well as others such as Malcolm, Steven, Hermione, and Zuzena. The two girls had been picked on for their names, but had found a friend in Emerald and his small group. Meanwhile, Malcolm and Steven didn't have the best home life, so they kind of drifted together and then to Emerald.

So, when everyone who was coming got there, Emerald gathered his friends in a circle and asked them if any of them knew what the letter was. Hermione's hand shot into the air. "I got one of those, too! It is from a magic school, and they sent a teacher to tell my parents all about it! We are supposed to go buy the supplies this weekend, it's in a place called Diagon Alley. If you got one, then someone should be coming by to explain it to you and Freddy and the others." Hermione was smart, so she figured that the letter had to be addressed to him.

He agreed, and told her, "I'll tell the others tonight, after we play with the night guard. If this school wants me to come, they will send someone to talk to me." After that, all of them just talked about their own lives, and Emerald acted as their makeshift therapist. He was the one that the children came to when something went wrong for them.

That night when all of the animatronics gathered to tell of anything that happened in the day, Emerald showed them the letter that the guard gave to him that morning. "And Hermione got one too, so that means that it must be real. We thought that we should wait for them to send a teacher, and if not, they have lost a student," Emerald finished.

Foxy and Chica, who acted as Emerald's parents, looked at each other and then nodded. All of them had taught him all that they knew, which sadly wasn't much. They knew a little bit from before they were killed, but most of what they knew came from parents, helping their children with homework in the pizzeria. They all wanted Emerald to have the best education he could get, so this school would be the perfect thing for him.

After that, all of them got into places, but this time Emerald stood at the mouth of the East Hallway. He looked like Chica(who he associated with food), and planned on seeing if the guard had brought anymore food with him. When Mike got there at 11:30, everything was quiet. Nothing was moving, and it seemed very sinister to him. He hurried towards the office, a bag of sandwiches in hand, but froze in place when he saw Emerald at the end of the hallway. He heard his watch ticking and looked down to see that it was ten 'til. When he looked back up, Emerald was closer and staring at the bag in his hands, reaching out as if to grab the food.

Mike reached into the bag without looking and pulled out one of his snacks, watching as Emerald's eyes followed the sandwich. _Well,_ thought Mike. _Anything to get one of these things on my side._ He reached out and placed the wrapped up food in front of Emerald, backing into his office as soon as it was out of his hand.

Emerald himself was happy, because he got something other than pizza to eat. Normally, Mama would find the ingredients for something else that would be healthy to eat, but they still had pizza once every week. So, the fact that he was given something that didn't have tomato or cheese in it was a novelty. Not caring if he was seen, he reached out and snatched up the sandwich, then raced to the dining room.

Mike was still looking at Emerald when he ran off, so he was definitely shocked. Emerald never moved in front of an adult, and Mike was one. Hearing the phone begin to ring, he quickly stepped into the office and pressed the answer button. _"Uhh, hello? Hello?"_ came the voice of Phone Guy. " _Uh, if you're hearing this and you made it to night two, uh, congrats! I-I won't talk quite as long this time since Freddy and his friends tend to become more active as the week progresses. Uhh, it might be a good idea to peek at those cameras while I talk just to make sure everyone's in their proper place. You know..."_

Phone Guy trailed off, while Mike rolled his eyes at the message. "No dip, Sherlock," he said, having already been on the cameras when the message had gotten started. Flipping through, he saw something odd, however. Emerald was sitting in the dining room and had taken his head off.

Mike froze up a bit as the message continued. _"Uh... Interestingly enough, Freddy doesn't come off the stage very often. I heard he becomes a lot more active in the dark though, so, hey, I guess that's one more reason not to run out of power, right? I-I also wanted to emphasize the importance of using your door lights. There are blind spots in your camera views, and those blind spots happen to be right outside of your doors. So if-if you can't find something, or someone, on your cameras, be sure to check the door lights."_

He couldn't help but say, "Well, I can see everyone perfectly fine right now." This was because all of the animatronics were in the dining area, even Foxy. And in the middle stood Emerald, with his head sitting next to him on the table. The most surprising thing about the entire situation was that there was a boy's head above the machine, chomping away at the sandwich he had given it. The child looked to be about 10 or 11, and had messy black hair sticking up everywhere. He was at complete ease with the murderous machines, and was even laughing at whatever he had heard.

Even though Mike was frozen in his seat, Phone Guy just kept on talking. _"Uh, you might only have a few seconds to react... Uh, not that you would be in any danger, of course. I'm not implying that. Also, check on the curtain in Pirate Cove from time to time. The character in there seems unique in that he becomes more active if the cameras remain off for long periods of time. I guess he doesn't like being watched. I don't know. Anyway, I'm sure you have everything under control! Uh, talk to you soon."_

The message ended there, but Mike didn't really notice. All of the animatronics were in the dinnig room, and they were talking about something. Freddy was sitting beside Emerald, Bonnie seemed like he was laying down on the boy, and Chica and Foxy were sat directly in front of him, acting for all the world as if they were the boys parents. Emerald himself was eating that sandwich and talking, making wild hand hand gestures as if to make a point.

With Emerald, he was doing just that. The fact that the man had willingly given him food, plus him giving the letter to him, had convinced him that the new guard was alright. Emerald wanted to talk to him, and thought it would be a good idea if Foxy and Chica went with him. Both of them agreed, but were reluctant; they didn't want him to be taken from them. They really did think of him as their child. Emerald grabbed their hands and drug them to the office.

Mike had seen this all from his office, watching through the cameras. But now, he just turned off the power on his tablet and waited. To him, this felt like his death was racing towards him as fast as that kid's feet could carry him. It only took a few moments for Emerald to reach the room, his Momma and Papa behind him.

"Hello again," he said, smiling up at the guard. "Thank you for the food, sir. Because you were nice to me, I thought I should return the favor. My name is Harry, though I really do prefer Emerald because my family gave it to me. This is my Momma and Papa, and out there is my Uncle Freddy and brother Bonnie. And then there is Uncle Goldie and Aunt Mari, who are hanging out somewhere. What is your name?" He rambled, eager to see if this adult was as bad as the others.

Mike nodded his head, shock already setting in. "My name is Mike. Uh, why are you not trying to kill me? It's what you've been doing the entire time, from what I've gathered from Phone Guy. He said that you would stuff me in a suit," Mike said, easily keeping up with the conversation.

Emerald frowned. "We just don't trust adults, they will never help you. But, you aren't an adult! You have to be nineteen!" he exclaimed, confused as to why what he considered a child was working here. He frowned, changing into his copy of Chica for comfort. Chica and Foxy wrapped him in a hug, trying to calm him down.

Chica looked at the young guard. "He is right, you can't be older than twenty. Why would you get a job here, of all places? You can't have been that desperate." She shook her head, not liking the idea of a child, in her opinion, taking this job. While adults were not to be trusted, children were what they lived for.

Mike shrugged, and said, "Well, it's the only place that would hire me, because of a mistake I made a few years ago. It's the only place I can go to." Mike didn't realize it, but he was crying while he said this. It was the first time someone had made any protest to him working there. Chica wrapped him into a hug, which Emerald immediately jumped into, and Foxy placed a hand on his shoulder. Silently, all three agreed that Mike was now the unofficial brother to the group.


	3. Wish Magic at Work

**AN: Hi guys. I managed to get a chapter written for you guys, so I hope you like it. I will be working on Harry or Mark? but that might be slow going. This is around 28 June, so it's around 33 days until Emerald's birthday. As for when someone comes to try to take him to Diagon, it will likely be next chapter. Sorry if it seems I'm dragging it out, but remember how long it took the goddess JK Rowling to bring in Hagrid. I'm going quick compared to that.**

 **Like I said, Madame Rowling is a goddess, and I am but a lowly peasant. As for Monsieur** **Cawthon, do I look like a male? I didn't think so.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **Giada Draven, out.**

When everyone dried their eyes and straightened themselves out, the new family headed into the dining area. As they were walking, Emerald jumped up on Mike's shoulders. Said person found it a bit worrying that despite the boy's age, his new little brother weighed a lot less than he should. He decided that he would start to bring meals for the young boy.

When they walked into the room where Freddy and Bonnie were waiting, the purple rabbit bounced up to them and said, "Are we keeping him? Like we did Emerald?" He obviously hoped that he would have a new brother to play pranks on and with.

Freddy stepped up beside the hyper bunny and put his hand on the others shoulder, calming him down easily. "Bonnie, you can't 'keep' someone. They are not objects. I share the sentiment, however; is he going to be staying?" He tilted his head slightly, giving himself an innocent look while at thee same time managing to be threatening.

Foxy stepped around the two boys and ruffled Mike's hair. "Aye, he will be staying. No, Bon, he will not wear a suit. You know how he might not attach himself to the suit like we did." Emerald held Mike tightly, obviously not liking this story. He reached down and poked his arm, indicating his desire to be put down.

Once put down, he raced into Pirate Cove, and they let him, knowing how much he hated this story. Emerald rushed through the curtains, and into total darkness. It immediately made him feel safe, something he had held onto from his years at the Dursley's. There, his only safe place was his cupboard, which was chock-full of darkness; and, now, he still felt as if nothing could hurt him in the darkness, as well as silence. So, he sat down in the darkest corner he could find, and drifted off, wishing for someone he could talk to.

Just before he truly went to sleep, a voice with a slight lisp met his ears. " _Where has strange wizard magic brought me? And where is the strange wizard who summoned me? There is only a pile of cloth and metal in the corner."_ It let out a small laugh, which sounded more like a hiss.

Emerald, seemingly without realizing, answered in kind, with the same lisp as the newcomer. " _I do not know what you mean by wizard, but I am not a scrap-heap. See?"_ said he, and he stood up to prove his point. The voice was then proven to be a snake, which had not been there before, when it jerked back.

" _Are you the speaker? You do not look human, not like the speaker from many sheds ago."_ The snake lifted his head up, so that it could examine him more easily.

" _I am a human, I'm just wearing this suit so that none of the adults can take me away from Mama and Papa. What do you mean by 'speaker'? I've been able to speak to snakes since I was little, but I never told anyone because I know it isn't normal."_ He shivered a little, knowing how badly the Dursleys would have reacted to his communication with anything, let alone snakes.

The snake lifted itself up farther, so that it was almost eye-level with the young boy. " _A speaker is one who can speak the language of snakes, understand the delicate hisses that make up how we talk. How dare anyone discourage this art!"_ The snake's lisp became more prominent with the last sentence, showing just how angry it was. After calming a bit, it looked at Emerald and said, " _What is your name, young speaker, so that I know what to call you?"_

Emerald settled down onto his haunches, making it easier on the snake, and considered it for a moment. " _My family here calls me Emerald, but before my name was Harry Potter."_ The snake froze for a moment, then slithered over and climbed up to his shoulders, wrapping its long tail around his torso.

" _Well, I believe you are worthy of being my human. I am Nathair, and I am an adder. I will help you when those pesky magics come to get you for their silly school."_

Emerald carefully stood up, making sure Nathair was comfortable before he exited Pirate Cove to see his family. Freddy was saying, "That is why we kill the guards, but do not worry. You are but a child, and we would never harm them. They are the reason we do not go crazy day after day, seeing their enjoyment will never get old." Bonnie nodded vigorously, while Chica nodded calmly and Foxy's smile was longing. "That said," Freddy continued, "if you do anything to get Emerald taken away from us, we will not hesitate in stuffing you into one of the more painful suits. Capiche?" The look on the singer's face alone was enough to make Mike nod quickly, just then realizing how protective these animatronics were of the only living member of the group.

As soon as the small gathering spotted said person, all evidence of the topic disappeared, replaced by smiles directed at Emerald. These smiles faltered, however, when they spotted the new addition to his costume. "Emerald, honey, why do you have a snake around your shoulders?" Chica asked sweetly, trying to wheedle the answer out of the boy she considered her son.

" _This is Nathair, he said that I am worthy of being his human. He also said that when the people from tha magic school come, he would help me with them. Do you want to say hello?"_ The last bit was said in parseltongue, without him realizing it. Everyone jerked in surprise at hearing nothing but hisses coming from the child's mouth, and Nathair whacked him on the back off the head with his tail.

" _Silly speaker, they don't understand our talk. If you speak in your language, then I will know; it is not a good idea to show all of your talents to just anyone,"_ he scolded. " _Now, I believe you should explain to them everything, especially the magic school."_ Nathair said, obviously trying to move the conversation along.

Emerald nodded, then made sure he wouldn't be hissing. "This is Nathair, and he kinda just appeared in Pirate Cove a few minutes ago. He said that I am worthy of being his human, and said that when the wizards come he would help me deal with them." He then back-tracked a little bit. "Apparently, magic is real. There is this school that teaches kids how to use it, and I was accepted." Without pausing, he reached into some kind of pocket, where he kept small things such as pencils and straws, and pulled out his Hogwarts letter. "It says that they 'await my owl', but I figured that if they want me that badly, they would send someone to introduce me to this whole thing. And, one of my friends, Hermione, said that she got one too, but one of the teachers came to her house to prove it wasn't a prank. She also said that I'm famous in that world, because of something I did when I was a baby." After that he just kept explaining, some things new to the animatronics and some not.

Soon, it was six a.m., and therefore time for Mike to head out. They all got into places, while Emerald hid Nathair and put his head back on. He decided he would be a miniature Bonnie, and sat down at one of the tables, staying perfectly still when the cleaning crew came in and swept up the little garbage that had not been thrown away. After all, there wasn't much else to do in the hour between the guard leaving and the janitors arriving, so they made it their goal to prepare everything for when the children came. Plus, it gave them something to do. A few hours into the day, Emerald's group of friends showed up and gathered around for any possible updates on the magic school or his family.

"Well, the night guard Mike is now in our little family. He can't be more than twenty, yet he has to work here of all places. He said that when those people from Hogwarts come, he will go with me so that he can help me out with anything that comes up. Oh yeah, and there's someone I want you guys to meet." He jumped up, but not before looking around to make sure that no adults would see him. Walking over to his hiding spot, he motioned for them to be quiet then uncovered Nathair. Zuzena let out a small gasp, Malcolm and Steven stared as if entranced, and the two brothers took a step back.

Hermione, however, looked at it closely before saying, "Emerald, you do know that's an adder, right? Those are poisonous." She put her hand on her friend's shoulder, trying to show him how dangerous his new pet was.

Emerald gave her an odd look. Of course I know that, but it doesn't matter. Nathair is kind, and wants to stick around for when those magicals come around." While he spoke, he reached down to stroke Nathair. "Anyway, are you all going to be here on my birthday? I really hope you can come, because Momma wants to make a cake for us all! She says that it's going to be both vanilla and chocolate, half-and-half so that everyone can have the kind they like better." He started jumping in place, and everyone laughed, letting the heavier topic slide away with ease. They never brought up their reservations about one of their own keeping a snake, but trusted his judgement and knew he could take care of himself.


	4. Sevvy? Is That You?

**AN: Hey there all. I am sick right now. I feel like a piece of merde. I had this chapter ready, so I decided to post it now. Tell me if you want me to re-write the books, or skip around and do the main points that I wanted to. Hope you all enjoy!**

 **I own nothing but my tissue.**

 **Giada Draven, out.**

Several days later, it was time for Emerald's birthday. He made several cards for his friends, inviting them formally and giving them a reason to make their parents bring them to the pizzeria once more. He also made one for Mike, and said that he could come if he wasn't too tired to. Mike agreed, just so that he could go in a little early and hopefully get the manager to pay him a little more for overtime. Emerald understood, of course, because Mike had already told him how far 120 pounds stretched for a week. This would be a free meal, plus some extra cash to get food later on.

He decorated them all with stick figures of each of them, a taller one with a guard's hat for Mike, bushy hair for Hermione, black hair with a purple ribbon for Zuzena, and so on. The day of, each person who got one of the invites went through the door and handed theirs to the greeter at the front desk. With the children, the receptionist just smiled and let them go through, thinking it was just a small gathering that was going to be held in the dining area. However, when Mike came in, she gave him a suspicious look until he too gave her a party invite and asked if he could speak to the manager. She took him to the office and knocked, sticking her head through the door when she received a curt, "Enter."

"Sir, there is a man out here who wanted to speak with you. I believe his name is Mike Schmidt." She said, hoping her boss would take this out of her hands.

"Send him in!" he called, smiling. The woman nodded and stepped back, allowing Mike through before closing the door behind him. "Hello Mike," said the manager, a portly old man who had deep laugh lines around his eyes. "I hope you aren't here to resign. You seem to be doing a great job on the night shift." He let a small, sad light go into his eyes, clearly dreading the thought of hiring a new guard.

Mike shook his head. "No sir, I actually wanted to know if you wouldn't mind if I worked a little bit today. I was invited to a small birthday party, and I figured it would be easier for everyone if I was productive and stayed until my shift tonight." He waited with baited breath, hoping he could get the extra shift.

His manager, who for some reason didn't want to tell his name, nodded and said, "Of course, so long as I don't have to find myself a new guard. Who's party were you invited to? I don't believe we had any families scheduled for today." He wore a bemused expression, obviously waiting for a name.

"Oh," Mike started. "It's not a family. Well, kind of. Emerald's birthday is today, and the animatronics are wanting to throw a small party for him and his friends. He wanted me to come, since he keeps calling me his big brother." He smiled, happy that he has a family that cares about him now.

The manager, however, did not think this was so good. "Em- Emerald? Are you talking about the black and green animatronic that just showed up one day? How did you even see it move, let alone become friends with it?" His tone was disbelieving. After all, legally Mike was an adult, and Emerald had never so much as moved when one of those were in the same room as it.

Mike nodded. "Yeah, he's sweet once you get to know him. Here, he even made a little card to officially invite me to his party." He held out the card, showing off the stick figure versions of himself, Emerald and the gang, and the animatronics. He pointed out the different people. "That's his friend Hermione, and there's Goldie and Mari, since they told me to call them that. They always seem to know if I say anything different." He laughed a little, thinking of when he was introduced to the two not-so-known animatronics. They had immediately wanted to know the story of him being taken into the group, and once they understood had told Mike to call them by their respective nicknames. They even wanted to go with Emerald to Hogwarts, where they would make sure nothing suspicious was happening.

The manager was in shock. None of the previous night guards got close to the entertainers, not while living to tell the tale. Yet, this _kid_ had become friends with all of them, and had even seen the missing Marionette and Golden Freddy. "G-go on and go to the party. Just make sure that there are no suspicious acting characters hanging around." Mike nodded and went to the door, but stopped when the manager said one more thing. "And Mike? Just stay alive, okay? I hate when the guards get killed, that's why I never tell them my name. I don't want to get attached." With that, he left the room and headed to the small gathering of kids around Emerald.

Said, currently, bunny hopped over to him. "Did you get the shift? I know how much it would help out if you got it, so we all kept our fingers crossed." All of them held up their hands to show off their crossed fingers. When he nodded, they all gave a cheer and dragged him to where there was a cake and some pizza set up. All of them sat down to wait for the animatronics, knowing it would be a few minutes until they were able to get off the stage.

After those few minutes, Freddy made an announcement. "I would like to thank you all for being here because today is very special. It's Emerald's birthday!" All of the smaller kids cheered, because they could, and everyone else clapped and started to sing 'Happy Birthday'. Making sure not to move when adults were looking, he hugged each of his friends, and then his family when they got off stage. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Goldie and Mari watching him. He waved, and they smiled before disappearing.

That night, after a fun day, there was a thunderstorm. The rain was pounding on the roof, creating a natural lullaby and causing Emerald to fall asleep while in the dining room with the others. Foxy smiled and picked him up, taking the small boy to Pirate Cove so that he would not wake up with a crick in his neck. However, as he was walking by the West Hall, and large boom came from the front doors. There was a crash, which caused Emerald to jump awake and out of Foxy's arms, racing to the reception area.

Standing there was three people. One was an old man, wearing bright coloured robes and his long white beard tucked into his belt. He looked very confused, looking around as if searching for a specific person. The second was a stern looking woman, graying hair pulled up in a severe bun. She wore green tartan robes and a disapproving expression. The final person was a sallow man with greasy hair and a hooked nose. His robes were completely black, with not a speck of colour, and his face was set in a sneer.

Everyone had followed them to the front room, and Freddy was about to question them when Goldie and Mari appeared out of nowhere, like they normally do. This caused the strangers to jump, though it only seemed to be because there was not a warning sign. Mari, being _very_ protective, stood in front of the group of six. Goldie stood in the middle, and spoke in a accent not unlike Freddy's, his only being more prominent. "Why are you here? Are you from that magic school?" He snarled the last sentence, not liking the idea of one of his own being separate from the group.

The old man walked forward. "Yes, we are professors at Hogwarts. May I ask how you know of it?"

Foxy let out a bark-like laugh. "Ye can ask, but you migh' not get an answer." Chica whacked him upside the head, causing him to let out a yelp.

Goldie ignored them. "I know because you sent a letter to our youngest. Thing is, it was addressed to one H. Potter. He hasn't been called that since we first took him in at 7 when his 'relatives' left him." He sneered at the word 'relatives', obviously thinking they didn't deserve to be called that. The trio of professors paled at that. One because she knew that she was right about how awful those people were, the youngest because of the implications that came with that, and the oldest because the young boy had apparently been out of the wards to protect him for so long.

"Well, I am Professor Dumbledore, and these are Professors McGonagall and Snape, heads to two of the houses that students are sorted into. Now, where is young Harry?" The newly named Dumbledore pointed to the stern woman and dark man in turn. McGonagall nodded, and Snape sneered at them.

Emerald stepped forward. "Er, that used to be my name. Now, everyone calls me Emerald because no matter what form I'm in I am green and black." To prove his point, he changed from a bunny to a bear, green eyes glowing happily.

Snape made a noise in the back of his throat. When they all looked at him, he coughed and voiced the thought that had occurred to him. "This is much too similar to the way the bodies of those five children were found. I was a child myself when that happened." At that, the animatronics stiffened, and Emerald gave a small whimper as he buried himself into Mari's arms. Looking around, Mari saw the tense mood and took Emerald back to Pirate Cove so that he could talk to Nathair, knowing that their sad tale would be told for the third time.

Freddy looked at the professors, telling them, "As Professor Snape mentioned, it does have to do with the five children who were killed. A worker here who dressed in purple led them away and killed them, stuffing their bodies into our these suits. Their souls attached themselves to them, and when the purple guy was switched to the night shift we took our chance." He began in third-person, but finally switched to show that it was them.

Chica took up the story. "Emerald was with those _people_ when he came here. He was at Pirate Cove when his cousin yelled at Foxy for paying attention to 'the freak'." She made a face of disgust.

Foxy continued for her. "He got up on the stage, right in me face. The circuits in this suit messed up, and bit the front of his brain off." He shook his head, not liking the idea of hurting a child even if they were mean.

Bonnie looked over and saw how emotional they were being, so he picked up the story. "That night we found Emerald and brought him into the family. We warned him away from the suits, because it was possible to get killed by the springs locking, but he found a small one that changed so that it was a costume. He joined us in our nightly activities until Mike came to work here." He bounded over to Mike, dragging him into the group from where he had been standing a few feet away. "He gave Emerald food, and when Chica and Foxy went to investigate we found that he wasn't more than a child. We hate hurting children, so he became Emerald's brother." Bonnie let out a small puff, catching his breath after going on for so long. It seemed Hermione had rubbed off on him.

Snape was looking at him with sadness, "Do you remember me, or Lily? My name is Severus." He looked toward the animatronics, and found that they all seemed to have pained expressions.

Freddy spoke what they were all thinking. "Sevvy? Our little Sev? Remember Carolyn? Toby? Timothy, Oliver, and Samantha? That's us. Mari was here even before us, but she says she used to watch over all of us as children. Sev, why did you leave Spinner's End? And Lily too. You guys just disappeared one day!" A small silver haze floated above Freddy, showing a small girl with long hair.

All of the animatronics were crying, and there were similar silver shades above each of them. Foxy had a young girl with her arms crossed and pigtails, with Chica being a boy of around 8 and Bonnie having a boy a few years younger. Goldie was a boy of the same age as Bonnie, with hair that was brushed to one side.

Snape had tears in his eyes, looking at what had become of his childhood friends. Then, he told them of how he and Lily went to Hogwarts, his mistake and her marriage of James Potter. Of how Emerald's real name was Harry James Potter, and he was the child of Lily. Chica teared up, having been Lily's adopted brother when he was alive and now having her son call him Mama. He didn't mind, since all of them had really lost their genders and were now just who they were.

Rushing forward, they gave their friend a large group hug, being careful not to hurt him with their strength. Dumbledore and McGonagall were shocked, never having seen the head of Slytherin cry, but they didn't try to stop the animatronics. Once everyone got their tears out, which had been held in for years, they settled down to talk about how Emerald would attend Hogwarts without raising suspicion over an animatronic leaving randomly and management not knowing where it went. Luckily, not many people really notice him, so a simple redirection ward would do for the general public and he could write to his friends with an owl from the school. Plus, he wouldn't be alone since Hermione was going with him.

Then another problem came up. "Emerald doesn't take off his suit unless he is eating, and even then he doesn't everytime," said Bonnie.

Dumbledore seemed to consider it, before stating, "I believe we will all just have to get used to seeing a black and green bunny attending classes." The animatronics laughed, as did Snape and Dumbledore, while McGonagall gave them a stern look. However, they could see that she was struggling to hold back a grin, which told them she wasn't that bad. Mari had wandered in, and volunteered to use her teleportation powers so that Emerald could say hi to the animatronics, and so they wouldn't get lonely.

Goldie went to fetch Emerald. so that he could know the good news and get ready for their trip in the early morning. Snape would be taking him through apparation to Diagon Alley, and they would go from there. Emerald gave the normally dour man a hug, then hurried off shouting that they needed to stay put for a moment. When he came back, Nathair was wrapped around his shoulders contentedly. Snape blinked, thinking that _of course the child already had a familiar_ , while Dumbledore and McGonagall were quick to tell him that as long as he wasn't dangerous he could go to Hogwarts. "Nathair wouldn't let me go without him," he told them, stroking down the snake's length.


	5. Well Then That Happened

**AN: Hi everybody! Oh my god, how the crap am I so popular?! Nearly 50 reviews, and I don't know how many favourites and follows! I know I need to update my other stories, but I saw that the only fic of mine that comes close to this one in reviews has 18. So, priorities. I have a little present for you all for when this hits 50 reviews, which I don't doubt will happen maybe an hour after I post this. I want to thank you all so very much, because you all have made my day, time and time again. Virtual cookies to anyone who can tell me why I used purple. Some of the things will probably make more sense than the actual reason. Thank you all, again.**

 **I have no claim to either Harry Potter, or Five Nights at Freddy's.**

 **Giada Draven, out!**

The next morning, after everyone took the time to rest and Mike checked the cameras every half-hour, Severus apparated into the dining room. Mike was standing with Emerald, wearing fresh clothes but looking ragged. Severus reached into his pocket and pulled out a bright coloured potion. "Drink this, it will give you enough energy to get through the day without falling asleep mid-way through." He thrust it into the guard's hand, then waited until he had drank it all before grabbing both of them by their arms. "You would normally feel sick after side-along apparating, but since you're prepared just make sure you don't fall over and you should be fine."

The two nodded, and they went through a sensation not unlike being pushed through a small tube. When that was over, they seemed to have been moved to a secluded room that had nothing in it. Following the man that was going into 'professor mode', they went into a crowded room that had tables and chairs scattered around it. The people who could see them froze at seeing a small black and green bear with a tophat. This reaction made it easy for them to push through to the back, where the entrance to the alley was.

Severus looked at him. "There is a pattern you have to tap on this wall to get through, so please remember it. You only need it for this entrance, but this is the entrance you will be using every time you come to the Alley." Snape held out his wand and tapped the brick that was three high and two across. The brick wall seemed to fold in on itself, forming a large archway that led to a busy and colourful. The started walking down the cobbled street, Emerald stretching his neck trying to see everything. He wished there were cameras and he had a tablet like Mike's so that he could look at everything without missing something.

They walked until they reached a large, white, marble building. There were two warrior-like creatures at the door, bowing the patrons in. On the outside was a poem:

 _Enter stranger, but take heed_

 _Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

 _For those who take, but do not earn_

 _Must pay most dearly in their turn_

 _So if you seek beneath our floors_

 _A treasure that was never yours,_

 _Thief, you have been warned, beware_

 _Of finding more than treasure there_

Severus saw that he was looking at it. "That is a warning against robbing the bank. You would do well to remember it, since doing anything to cause the goblins to hold a grudge against you is an awful idea." With that, he swept through the doors, giving them little time to catch up. Emerald did stop for a moment to nod respectfully to the goblins at the door. He didn't see it, but as he went in they shared a surprised look.

Severus led them to the nearest empty teller. "Mr. Potter is ready to go to his vault." He said this in a curt voice.

The goblin looked at them over his glasses. "And does Mr. Potter have his key?"

Severus reached into his pocket and pulled out an old, gold key. After he placed it on the desk and the teller called for a goblin named Griphook, he looked at Emerald. "That key is to your trust vault, which should last until the end of your schooling. Do not lose it, because they will not be replacing it." the child nodded, and Mike put his hand on his shoulder to show that he would be watching out for him.

With that, Griphook approached, leading them through a door that led to a small stone passageway with a cart on a track, which led down. Once they were all inside the cart, it took off with no prompting, making many various turns along the way. Left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, it was all going too quickly for Emerald to catch all the turns. At one point there was even a burst of fire, and both Emerald and Mike twisted to see it, but they were passed too soon to see anything but rock.

Finally the cart came to a rattling stop beside a small door set in the passage wall. While Severus seemed to be recovering from the dizzying ride, Griphook unlocked the door. Green smoke poured out, making it hard to see, but when Emerald's semi-nightvision kicked in he found that the vault was filled with pills upon pills of gold, silver, and bronze coins.

Turning around and peering through the smoke, he turned to the goblin. "This is mine?" he asked incredulously. Griphook nodded and handed him a bag, telling him to get enough for all of his supplies and then some.

Once on the cart to the surface, Severus told them that, "There are bronze Knuts, silver Sickles, and the gold galleons. Seventeen Sickles equals a galleon, and twenty-nine Knut in a Sickle. Just remember not to spend it all." Soon they reached the surface, with Emerald and Mike wanting to go again and Severus leaning against the wall, looking a bit green.

As Griphook started to walk out, Emerald called out to him, "Thank you for taking us down to my vault!" Said goblin gave a curt nod, staying turned away from the group. He did this because he was thoroughly shocked. None of the wizards were polite to his kind, because of their prejudice against any magical creatures.

Heading outside, and once more nodding to the guards, Emerald pulled out his list of supplies:

 _HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

 _UNIFORM_

 _First year students will require:_

 _Three sets of plain work robes (black)_

 _One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

 _One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

 _One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)_

 _Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags_

 _COURSE BOOKS_

 _All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

 _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk_

 _A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_

 _Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_

 _A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch_

 _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore_

 _Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_

 _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander_

 _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble_

 _OTHER EQUIPMENT_

 _wand_

 _cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) set_

 _glass or crystal phials_

 _telescope set_

 _brass scales_

 _Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad_

 _PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS_

Severus quickly looked over it, and led them to a apothecary. "Since you are wearing your suit all the time, and it cleans itself, you don't need to get the uniform. You will, of course, need the gloves to protect yourself during Herbology and Potions. Plus, you need the cauldron and ingredients. We will be getting extra, since those school sets never have enough for a whole year. You know…" He continued to rant, grabbing fresh ingredients and putting it into a basket for Emerald.

After they paid, they set off to get ink, parchment (though Emerald managed to sneak in several pens, pencils, and notebooks), and the other items needed. Inside the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts, they continued to have an empty circle around them. Then they ran into Hermione, who pounced on the green bear and tell him about all of the great books in the store. Mike let them go, as the young boy was dragged off by his frizzy-haired friend. Quickly, he helped Severus gather all of the course books needed and eventually found Emerald to ask if there was any extra books he wanted for background reading.

"'Mione told me that I should get a copy of _Hogwarts: A History_ , since it is really interesting. I also want to look into what types of spells could help protect my friends," Emerald told him, showing a copy of the book he wanted, as well as a book by Professor Vindictus Viridian, called Curses and Counter Curses. Mike nodded, and helped him with carrying the lot of tomes to the counter so that they could pay.

Finally, they had reached the part that Emerald had been looking forward to the most. Getting his wand. They came to the last shop, which was narrow and shabby. Above the door were peeling gold letters proclaiming: _Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C._ A lone wand sat on display in the dusty window.

A tinkling bell went off as they stepped into the shop, signalling their arrival. Behind a stack of boxes was a person, whom Emerald could only see because of his night-vision. Otherwise, the shop was completely empty save a spindly legged chair. Emerald felt as if he had entered a strict library, and he felt some force as if a secret magic was inlaid into the walls.

"Good afternoon," came a soft voice from the person hiding in the shadows. Mike and Severus gave a small jump, but Emerald just looked at the old man who had seemingly appeared in front of the trio. His wide, pale eyes seemed to glow like the animatronics did at night.

"Hello," Emerald replied, easily treating this man like one of the animatronics.

"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon, Harry Potter. Or should I say Emerald?" This shocked the boy a bit, since no one in this world knew who he was. He continued without waiting for a reaction. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."

Emerald was shocked, since he had never been told of his parents. He nodded, indicating that Mr. Ollivander should continue, even though the man didn't need the hint. "Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course." He shifted closer, examining the green bear closely. After a moment, he backed away, peering at Severus.

"Ah, Severus Snape! How nice to see you. Willow, dragon heartstring, 13 inches, nice and flexible. That was a good wand. Has it served you well?"

Severus looked slightly uncomfortable as he answered. "Yes, sir. It has stuck with me through all of these years."

Mr. Ollivander nodded, then turned to the counter and grabbed a measuring tape. "Now, Emerald, which is your wand hand?"

Said boy blinked. "Er- well, I'm right handed." He held out his arm, and Mr. Ollivander started to measure anything he could reach. His arm, the length between his elbow and wrist… his nose. It was only when the tape measure was in between the ends of his eyebrows that he realized the Mr. Ollivander had moved away from him, the measure carrying on as if this was normal. The old wandmaker was at the shelves that hid the back of the store. He was pulling off long, thin boxes and putting them on the counter.

He snapped his fingers, and the tape measure fell on the ground, lifeless. "Alright. Try this one, Emerald. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just give it a wave, try it out." He did, feeling very foolish, and waved it a bit.

When nothing happened, Ollivander snatched it back and shoved another in his hand. "Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try."

He tried, but had barely raised it when it was once again taken, replaced by a dark coloured wand. "No, no. Here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."

Emerald tried. And tried. He had no clue what the old man was waiting for. The pile of rejected wands grew, causing Mike to look at it warily. As Ollivander pulled more and more wands off the shelves, he grew more and more excited.

"Tricky customer, eh? Don't worry, we'll find one that will accept you." With that he pulled down yet another wand. "Holly and phoenix feather, an unusual combination. 11 inches, nice and supple." Emerald took it with a bit of trepidation, expecting it to be snatched back again. When he took it, he gave a small wave, and nothing happened. Ollivander seemed a bit disappointed, yet happy at the same time.

"I don't believe one of these wands will work for you, young Emerald," he said, going in between the shelves and coming back with two boxes. One had different samples of wood, while the other had several different types of long strands of material. "We will have to craft one. And since you are not really a wizard, but an animatronic, we won't bother with the trace. After all, that is for wizards and witches." Here the old wandmaker gave them a conspiratorial wink.

"Now, close your eyes and slowly move your hand over the different woods. When you feel a pull or warmth from one, stop and give it to me. Do this with any that pull you to it, so that we can find the best match." Ollivander held out the box of wood, and Emerald did as told.

After a few moments, he felt an immense warmth from the wood under his fingertips. He picked it up, and could feel the warmth engulf him. He opened his eyes and turned to Ollivander. "I think I have found the one that wants to bond with me," he told him. He nodded and set the wood, ebony, aside. Then, they repeated the process with the strands of material, which turned out to be the cores. It took a while since there was a faint warmth but it seemed buried. Finally, he pulled out a long, wiry hair that he could barely see. In his palm also sat a small vial filled with acidic liquid the same colour as Emerald's eyes.

He handed them to Ollivander, who seemed surprised. "You have chosen ebony wood, and a thestral hair and basilisk venom. You truly are special, aren't you, Emerald?" He led Emerald to the back of the shop, stopping Severus and Mike when they made to follow. "This is something that I would wish to keep secret. After all, every old man has his secrets."

At the back of the store was a rickety door, which looked as if it would fall over at the slightest breeze. However, it took a good push from Ollivander to get it open, and once it was it revealed a large room with what seemed to be a ritual as the focus of it. Ollivander told him to place the wand components that chose him into the ritual circle, and explained that this would fashion the wood into a suitable focus for his magic. Even though he could pretty much use his magic freely without a focus, it would do better to keep up appearances while at Hogwarts. Not only this, but a focus would strengthen his magic marginally.

Ollivander began to chant, and the innate magic that Emerald had felt when he entered the shop flared. It began to surround the ritual circle, and a bright purple light began to engulf the room. Emerald was able to see through it, his vision merely taking a purple tint, but Ollivander could only see the edges of the room when he tried to look away.

Emerald was seeing his new wand -no, companion- forming. Runes were etching themselves along the length of the wood, while the thestral hair and basilisk venom seemed to sink into the wood. In the purple light, words were floating, telling him that the lightning bolt rune on his wand was the Norse sowilo, for protection. The other names of the runes flashed passed his eyes, as did other information about magic itself,

Somewhere in a state of limbo, a father-like man was smiling down at a clear pond, pleased with his choice in champion.

In the front of the shop, Mike and Severus heard a dull explosion. They shared a look, but did not investigate. After all, no one apart from wandmakers knew what went on when creating a wand from scratch.

Once the light cleared, Emerald seemed as if in a trance, his eyes unfocused and staring off into space. Ollivander grabbed his shoulder and gave it a small shake, bringing the young boy back to reality. He nodded to the silent question he could see in the man's eyes, indicating that he was fine. They went back to the front of the shop, where Severus and Mike were waiting anxiously for them to return.

Emerald turned to the old wandmaker. "How much do I owe you for the wand? I know that the cores were very expensive."

Ollivander shook his head. "Just give me seven galleons, since that is what I ask of every student who come to my shop. It was a very… informative experience, one that I would like to thank you for letting me join you in."

Emerald dug into his money pouch, pulling out about ten galleons (though, if asked, he would say that it was only seven.). They left the shop, Mike wondering about what in the world had just happened, Snape tired of everything that had come about, and Emerald processing all of the information he had been granted by magic.


	6. New Friends And-Holy Crap, What Is That?

**AN: Hi! I am here with a new chapter! The poll for Emerald's house has been changed, since if I have him in a different house it would complicate things. Check it out, please, because it will decide which house he will be the most like: smart, cunning, hard-working, or chivalrous. Thank you guys so much for your enthusiasm! I love when I check my email, and there is about 15 different ones from here saying people favorited or followed me or my stories. I just want you all to know that you have kept me from getting down because of life. I'm a bit young to say this, but honestly without you guys I wouldn't want to live in this world, at least not as much as I do. Sorry for the rant, and thank you to anyone that actually reads my notes. Most don't even bother. Anyways, let's get on with the story.**

 **I do not own jack. So you can't sue me.**

 **Giada Draven, out!**

The next month passed by quickly. Emerald was conflicted on how to feel about this. On one hand, he didn't want to leave his family. On the other, he couldn't wait to make friends and show Hermione his new-found knowledge on magic. Chica got emotional easily, not liking the idea of him going off to some magic school that she didn't know about. She had made Severus promise to look out for him, and from what the potions master had seen, the faux-animatronic would end up in either his house or the one of his birth parents.

The day before the train for Hogwarts was set to depart, Mike came to Emerald. "I can take you to the station tomorrow if you can find some normal clothes to wear. The manager wouldn't question it, but others might if I'm taking an animatronic to Kings Cross."

Emerald knew why he wanted that, but already had a plan in place. "Mike, I can cast a glamour charm so that it looks like I would if _they_ had kept me." With the new knowledge he had of magic, he could easily cast that on himself. Ollivander hadn't cast the trace onto his wand, saying, "It would be an insult to a wand such as this one."

On the day of their departure, Emerald cast the glamour charms right before Mike's shift ended. Chica tackled him with a hug, not wanting to let him go. Foxy hugged him tightly, while Bonnie and Freddy ruffled the feathers on his head.

Mike was just talking over the phone to the manager about Emerald being accepted to a prestigious school ("I have no clue how, either. Don't ask me how he's going to school.") and Emerald was speaking to Mari and Goldie. They were making sure that they would be able to deliver messages between the pizzeria and the school. The two had already popped over, and they said there were many good hiding places for him.

Finally, it was time to head out to Kings Cross. They went by tube, so as to attract less attention. Not only that, but Mike didn't own an auto. Once there, Emerald dragged his trunk onto a trolley, stacking his things carefully so that they wouldn't topple when they got to the platform. Mike looked down at the ticket. "Platform Nine and Three Quarters? I think that's a little odd. Where is it?"

Emerald just grabbed his hand and led him to the divider between platforms Nine and Ten. Then he, after making sure the coast was clear, shoved Mike through the hidden barrier. He disappear from view, appearing on the other side where a large crowd was gathered around a scarlet train that had the name _The Hogwarts Express_ embossed on the side. Mike got out of the way of the entrance that was behind him, knowing that Emerald would have to come through as well.

Even though it was early, around 7 AM, the platform was packed. Early birds, most of whom wore blue scarves, were sitting on the train reading a book. Families were of to the side, exchanging hugs now so that they wouldn't be in a rush at 11. Emerald hauled his trunk into an empty compartment, then went back onto the platform to say goodbye to Mike. When he got back, Mike seemed like he was dead on his feet, eyes drooping and feet dragging.

"Go get some sleep, Mike. I can take care of myself. Beside, as soon as I let my glamour fall people won't want to come near me." He pushed his pseudo-brother towards the barrier, and therefore closer to bed. Mike gave a grudging nod and a final hug, stumbling to the exit so that he could get to his ratty flat and sleep.

Emerald once again entered his compartment, plopping down onto a seat. Then, he let the glamours fall, revealing the black and green bunny that he was known for being (at least, he was known for it at the pizzeria). Now, it was time to wait.

It was several hours before the less ambitious people began boarding the train. In that time, he had read through all of the assigned texts, finding some to be severely lacking. Luckily, the knowledge he had gained from the making of his wand let him know all that he needed. He was planning on making sure Hermione knew all of the content as well, and even any friends he managed to gain would end up getting tutoring. If he had anything to say about it, this school would be turned on its head, earning the moniker of Best School in England.

As he was thinking of a study schedule, the door to his compartment slid open and his frizzy-haired friend entered the compartment. He only became aware of her presence when she threw her arms around him in a hug. As soon as he began hugging back, she pulled away and gave him a stern look. "Emerald, what are you doing here? I know you got that letter, but wouldn't it raise suspicion if a popular animatronic disappeared? Not that I'm not happy to see you, it's just that… it isn't a good idea to up and disappear."

In response, Emerald gave her a cheeky grin. "Talked it over with the manager. The official story is that I've been pulled for repairs, until next summer. Now, have you read the course books yet? I wanted to talk about the theory behind some of the transfiguration."

Immediately, the two jumped into a conversation about theory, Emerald helping Hermione with the defense, since the book was useless. They weren't disturbed until almost half an hour until the train left. A gangly red-head entered uninvited, plopping down onto the seat across from them. "Hi," he began. "I'm Ron Weasley, who are you?" He looked at Hermione, seeming to ignore the bunny in the room.

"Well, my name is Hermione. This is my friend, Emerald. Are you from a wizarding family? We aren't, so we don't know much about the culture." She spoke in a rush, and would have continued if Emerald hadn't stopped her.

Around this time, Ron finally looked at Emerald. And promptly ran out of the compartment, somehow managing to take his stuff with him. Hermione and Emerald just burst out laughing, knowing that these people would have to get used to it. That, and anyone out after curfew would have to watch out for him. Since he didn't sleep, not really at least, he was given permission from the headmaster to wander about so long as he turned in wandering students. Severus had already claimed him for his own patrols, wanting to tell the boy of his mother.

Once more, they were left alone. It was a comfortable silence, both of them reading to pass the time. About an hour after the train left Kings Cross, another boy came to call. This boy, however, was polite, knocking on the door to ask entrance. Emerald stood to let him in, and though the chubby boy looked surprised he didn't say anything in the negative. "Excuse me, but you wouldn't have seen a toad in here, have you?"

Hermione shook her head sadly, prepared to volunteer herself to look, but Emerald beat her to the chase. "I can summon him, if you can tell me his name." This shocked Hermione, because her friend never talked to anyone outside of their group. Not even the manager knew what his voice sounded like.

Neville, for that was the kind boy looking for his pet, beamed. "Thank you! His name is Trevor, and he is always trying to run away. Gran says that she should just use a sticking charm on him so that I don't lose him."

Nodding, Emerald pulled out his wand, which he didn't really need but used for the sake of the wizarding community. " _Accio_ Trevor the toad." Then he just waited. Just as Hermione was about to ask him if he performed the spell right, Trevor came zooming through the open door and into his hand.

Once he handed Trevor to Neville, the boy jumped to give him a hug. Ignoring how odd it was to hug a walking talking animal, the boy pulled back and looked him straight in the eyes. "My name is Neville Longbottom. May I know your name? I would like to know, since I think we would be good friends. You too," this he directed towards Hermione.

Hermione jumped up to give him her hand. "My name is Hermione Granger, and this is Emerald. He normally doesn't talk much, so the fact he spoke to you means you're trustworthy." She went to shake his hand, but Neville went ahead and pulled her in for a hug, too.

At her confused look, he just shrugged. "It doesn't really matter, I guess. If we are friends, then we hug, right?" Seeing his logic, Hermione hugged him back, then pulled Emerald into the hug as well. They settled down, talking about small things that really didn't matter. When the lunch trolley came around, Emerald gave Hermione some money with instructions to get a little bit of everything. As soon as the sweet old woman with the cart left, they dug into the snacks.

Emerald opened one of the Chocolate Frogs, which almost jumped away before he grabbed it. quickly, he and Neville looked at the card that came with it. This one was of the esteemed headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Emerald didn't bother reading the back, since he knew about the man from both his trip and the boost in magical knowledge.

The trio soon decided that it would be better to get dressed now, so that they wouldn't be rushing to later. Hermione left the compartment so that Neville could change. He did so, deciding not to question the fact that his new friend wasn't pulling on a uniform like he was. Emerald, instead, was looking out the window towards the dark landscape. He was thinking of his family, and how he wouldn't see them until Christmas break.

Finally, a voice was projected around the train, as if on an intercom. " _We will be arriving in Hogsmeade in a few minutes. Please leave all of your things on the train to be taken up to the castle. Thank you."_

Once the rolled into the station, the small first years filed out, standing on the platform looking more than a little confused. "Firs' years, over 'ere!" came a booming voice, which was produced by a large man that resembled a giant. He led them down a path, telling them, "'Ere in a mo' you'll get yer firs' glance o' 'Ogwarts."

Many of the new first years gasped at the beauty of the castle, and Emerald was just happy that his years of practice in hiding physical reactions came in handy. With the instructions of, "No more'n four to a boat," they piled into one. The trio were reluctantly joined by a sweet girl named Susan Bones, whose aunt, she boasted, was the head of the DMLE.

Soon, the boats pulled out in a smooth formation, as if being pulled by magic so that they didn't bump against each other. After they reached a small dock, the half-giant led them up a flight of stairs to a large, imposing door. The giant man knocked loudly, and the sound reverberated through the students.


	7. Scaring The Sorting Hat

**AN: Hey there guys! This was a surprise even to me, since I have been really busy lately, and will be for a while. There are a lot of theater festivals in a small amount of time, and I honestly didn't expect to update anything for a couple of months. Also, to my readers that read Potionem Domino, the reason I updated it was because I was rereading my work and I realized I made a pretty big mistake. Go check that out if you want to. And none of you have checked out the Facebook page I made, under Giada Draven. Please go look at that for updates on things on here, and random little things I find funny. Oh, and I was going to be really mean and cut this chapter off at a certain point, but I didn't want an angry mob on my hands. I think I've rambled for long enough, so just go ahead and enjoy the story you nerds.**

 **I only have a candle, do you expect me to own any of this?**

 **Giada Draven, out!**

The imposing doors opened slowly, letting the tension build. Then, when they were fully open, McGonagall stood before them, not a hair out of place and her emerald robes swishing in the breeze. Hagrid quickly greeted her. "The firs' years, professor."

She nodded. "Thank you, Hagrid. You may go on to the Great Hall now." He hurried past her, and as the doors opened they could hear many people talking and laughing. Then, the noise was cut off as the door closed. It was eerily quiet as she ushered them into an antechamber next to the Great Hall. The first years crowded together in the room, faces washed in the torchlight as they peered around nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, "she said as an introduction. "The opening feast will begin soon, but before you take your places you must be sorted into one of the houses. This is important, because your house will be like your family. You have classes with them, eat with them, sleep in their dormitories, and spend some of your free time in the house common room.

"There are four different houses: Hufflepuff the just, Ravenclaw the wise, Slytherin the cunning, and Gryffindor the brave. Each has a vast history, and each has produced both good and bad witches and wizards. It is up to you to be either one. While you are here, your achievements will earn you points and rule breaking will lose them. At the end of each year, the house cup is awarded to the house with the most points. I hope you will do good to whatever house you are in.

"The sorting will begin in a few minutes, so while I am gone I think some of you should smarten up," with the end of her speech, she looked at Ron, who had dirt smudged against the side of his nose.

Sweeping out of the chamber, McGonagall left the first years to make first impressions. While his year mates talked to each other, they steered clear of him. "How do they sort us?" Emerald asked Neville, the only one from a wizarding family who would talk to him.

Neville shrugged, since his Gran hadn't told him. Around this time, a brave boy came up to the trio. Behind him trailed two large boys, who painfully reminded Emerald of his cousin before he met his family. "My name is Draco Malfoy," said the blonde, sticking his hand out towards them. "I know that you must be Neville Longbottom," he said to the brunette. "And you are probably a muggleborn," this was said to Hermione. Lastly, he turned to Emerald. "Who are you? I don't recognize you, in fact, you don't look human!" None of this was said unkindly, instead he only seemed curious.

Checking to see if anyone was looking first, he took the other boy's hand. "My name is Emerald," he said shortly, since a brown haired kid was beginning to look their way. Before any of them could say anything else, there was a loud scream from the other side of the room. "What the-" he said under his breath.

Almost twenty transparent people streamed through the back wall, and immediately Emerald could tell they were ghosts. He recognized the way they moved from the first meeting with Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Severus. Plus, the knowledge gifted to him by Magic helped. They glided through the room and didn't pay attention to the first years, arguing about something. An old monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I saw; we ought to give him a second chance-"

"My dear Friar," said a ghost wearing ruffles around his neck. "Haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us a bad name, and he isn't even a ghost!" Then, he noticed the children. "I say, what are you all doing here?"

Nobody had the chance to answer, before the Friar exclaimed, "New students! About to be sorted, hmm?" A few nodded mutely. "I hope to see you in Hufflepuff. My old house you know."

"Move along," commanded a sharp voice. McGonagall had returned. Slowly, the ghosts left one by one through the back wall. Some were staring at Emerald, since they could feel the mark of a ghost having claimed him. In fact, several had. Before he left, on one of the rare occasions that he slept, all of his family had gathered around him and put their marks on him, making sure that the other ghosts he may encounter would be hesitant to mess with him. McGonagall moved them into a line, marching them out of the anti chamber and into the Great Hall. The four tables were packed, seeming to have no space for the small eleven year olds.

At the front of the hall, in front of the long table that seemed to hold the teachers, was a three-legged stool with an old, patched hat sitting on it. When they reached the front, the entire hall quieted, as if waiting for a sacred tradition. Then, just as the first years were about to start whispering, wondering what was happening, a rip in the hat opened wide, and began to sing.

"Oh, you might not think I'm pretty,

but don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The sorting hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I am a Thinking Cap!"

With that, the singing hat resumed its unmoving position on the stool. The hall burst into applause, with the only ones not clapping being the muggleborn first years. Once the commotion settled, McGonagall stepped forward with a large scroll in her hands. "When I call you, please come forward and put on the hat for your sorting," she said. "Abbott, Hannah."

A pink haired girl with cute little pigtails stumbled out of the line. She put on the hat, which promptly fell over her eyes, and sat down on the stool. After a few moments passed, the seam of the hat opened again, but only long enough to shout out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table on the right clapped and cheered, making room between each other to welcome their new member. Emerald saw the Fat Friar waving excitedly.

"Bones, Susan," called McGonagall once the hall had quieted once more.

Once more, the hat shouted out, "HUFFLEPUFF!" and Susan scuttled off to join Hannah.

The sorting continued like this, with massive cheering from whatever house was called, and polite clapping from the rest. Emerald didn't pay attention, instead examining the information that had entered his head when making his wand. Even though he had looked through as much as he could before now, there was still a lot that he hadn't examined yet. Currently, he was looking through the troves of information on the mind arts, especially on occlumency. He jerked to attention when he was the last one in front of the teacher's table, and found his friends sat at the different tables. Neville and Hermione had gone to the red and gold table, while Draco sat at the green and silver.

Before he could continue with his musings, McGonagall called out, "Emerald." No last name, just what he was. Emerald, the ever-changing animatronic, who was the most friendly to children and the most deadly to untrustworthy night guards. He decided to be mysterious, and used the trick he learned from Bonnie to cause everyone to blink at the same time so that he could appear next to the stool. This caused several whispered conversations to break out., since they believed it to be apparated, yet that was impossible. Before the hat fell over his eyes, he saw Neville and Hermione giving him a thumbs-up. Then there was darkness.

 _Interesting_ , came a voice through his head. Emerald knew this had to be the hat, for he had never heard this voice before, and earlier it said it would be looking through their minds. He worried about that, quickly hiding the pizzeria behind shields as best he could from what he had seen of how to occlude.

" _How so?"_ Emerald asked the hat.

 _Well, it seems as if you are hiding something from me, very well I might add._ This caused Emerald to breathe a sigh of relief, until the hat continued. _However, I have been enchanted to get past all sorts of shields so that I can properly sort you._ Before Emerald could begin to panic, the hat reassured him, _I will leave what you are hiding until last, since you so obviously want to hide it from all._

With that, the hat dove into his memories of his relatives, from when he could first remember, to when they abandoned him. That was when the memories ended, because he knew that if the hat saw anymore he would be thrown out, or it would be revealed that he had helped kill the bad guards. While he knew they were not good, he also knew that if anyone knew he would be taken away and most likely put in a prison. All of these were thought behind the barrier, so that the hat could not hear them.

 _Well,_ said the hat, _I think you are very loyal to those you like, an admirable trait for all. You know much, and enjoy learning, but you learned in your time with those Dursleys that you can not do good. It is not like that here, but I know that these things stick with you forever. You are brave, you would have to be, living with them for as long as you did. And you are most definitely cunning, and have an ambition that would have made Salazar proud. I think that Slytherin would do you good, and you have already made an ally in the house. However, I think that with your position it would cause a scandal. I can tell, without looking at your hidden memories, that you would have made Godric proud to have you in his house._

At this point, the confused whispers of the hall could be heard, many wondering why an _animal_ looking thing was taking so long to sort. Wrapping up, the hat told him, _I will not tell anyone who you truly are, but before I let you go you must let me see what you are hiding. I prefer to ask before I look at what some are hiding._

Emerald thought for a moment, but then thought of a plan to let the hat satisfy its curiosity, and for him to be put in a house that people wouldn't expect him in. ' _I will let you see as soon as you shout out Gryffindor.'_

The hat agreed, and shouted to the roof, "GRYFFINDOR!" as Emerald let every single memory of the pizzeria flow out from behind his shield. With that, McGonagall took away the hat and he could see the red and gold table clapping, but not as excitedly as they had for their other new members. Emerald appeared in the seat next to Hermione as the hat was led away, and from where he was he could see that the scrap of cloth was shaking in place.


	8. Friends With Ghosts, and The Dorms

**AN: Hey! Sorry it took me so long to post this, but I was hoping to stay on schedule even with everything that has been going on recently. Being stalked is not fun, and having a lot of people die with two weeks takes a toll on you. One with cancer, the other a suicide. I probably won't have the usual update at the start of next month, since it is getting close to the end of school and I have to deal with graduation. Wish me luck! I will get out the milestone one-shot for this story; I have decided a one-shot for every 50 reviews, because it means so much to me that so many of you read this, and keep reading it. You guys help me through the day, and don't even realize. I love you guys. Anyway, now that me being emotional has stopped and am no longer crying on the toilet, I'll get on with the story!**

 **I could never be this brilliant, I can't really even make these without your help.**

 **Giada Draven, out!**

No one other than Hermione and Neville would get near him. They all scooted as far over as they could without falling, and looked at him fearfully. Of course, Emerald could care less. It was what he had put up with before he became Emerald. The Headmaster stood, and began speaking, "Welcome, to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin this feast, I would like to say a few words: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

Frowning slightly, Emerald clapped with the rest of the school, but he did it so that none would notice he had moved. When he next glanced down, the previously empty plates were filled with all sorts of dishes, from Roast beef to fries. For some odd reason, there was even peppermint humbugs.

As Emerald took a bit to keep him tied over until the night, in the seat nearby the ghost from before with the ruffles looked longingly at the piles of food. "That looks so good."

Emerald turned to him, still glancing around distrustfully, "Can't you eat it?" He asked.

The ghost shook his head. "No, none of us can. I would think that you would know this, with you being marked."

Emerald continued to give him a confused look. "The ghosts I know can eat, in fact we have dinner each night before getting to work."

The ghost looked surprised. "Well, I haven't eaten in four hundred years. Oh, where are my manners? My name is Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington. Resident ghost of Gryffindor." He bowed, and his head toppled dangerously.

The redhead from earlier shouted at them. "I've heard of you! My brothers call you Nearly Headless Nick!" Nicholas winced, obviously being disenchanted with the name.

An Irish boy a few seats away from the first shouted at them, "How can you be _nearly_ headless?"

Looking thoroughly miffed, Nicholas stood. "Like _this_." He tugged on his hair, not even enough to hurt a living person, and his head fell over. It was hanging on by a thin stretch of muscle, grotesque in that the job had never been finished. Emerald hid his emotions as he stared at it, hearing screams from the surrounding kids.

When they looked away, he conjured up a lighter and set some food on fire. "I offer this to Sir Nicholas, ghost of Gryffindor tower." The food lit up in bright blue flames and suddenly appeared, floating, in front of said person.

Nicholas jumped a bit, before he let out a laugh. "Thank you, young one. It has been so long since I have eaten. Thank you!" He laughed again, placing a hug around Emerald (and surprising even himself when he didn't go through the animatronic) and then diving into his food. The other ghosts of the castle drifted over, seeing how Nicholas reacted. After requesting their names, he gave each of them food. Soon, the entirety of the hall was staring at him.

Emerald was frozen to the spot, and the Friar Jacobsen continued to ask, "Young one? Why are you not moving?"

Said animatronic quickly looked at him, then at all of the adults in the room. The ghost nodded, and told the rest that the adults were what kept him still. They all drifted off, except for Sir Nicholas who just stayed by his side and glared at anyone who looked at him odd. Because of this, Emerald was eventually able to get back to talking with Hermione and Neville. Nicholas contributed every so often, telling of ways to memorize the castle quicker. When Emerald next looked at his plate, it was empty and on the serving plates there were loads of deserts. Hermione didn't touch them, since her parents were dentists and would not let her eat all that many sweets. Though, to Emerald, that made no sense because they let her have greasy pizza almost once a week.

As Neville dug in, Emerald just sat back, observing the rest of the hall now that the attention wasn't on him. He noticed that Draco was surrounded by a large group of Slytherin first years. As he watched, several of them moved away just to be replaced by others. The new group seemed much more accommodating, and they began to laugh and joke. The rest of Slytherin was distant, putting up a barrier and only talking to a select few.

The Ravenclaws, meanwhile, were holding books or holding debates. The first years either joined in, or sat there awkwardly trying to make friends. The Hufflepuffs acted as a large family, welcoming their first years with open arms. Many were laughing and eating. What seemed to be all the couples were sat together, practically adopting the new members.

He couldn't very well observe the Gryffs, since they all shied away if they even felt him looking at them. Emerald hoped that they would come to accept him, Neville wanted to be something his Gran could brag on, and Hermione just wanted to learn all she could. Soon enough, the rest of the school was stuffed, and the teachers were gazing fondly at their new students.

"Just a few words before you all go to your beds," said Dumbledore. "I have a few start of term notices for you. First years should note that the Forbidden Forest is just that, forbidden. Though, some of our older students would do well to remember that." Here he looked at two redheads, who just grinned and waved. "I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, our caretaker, to remind that magic is not allowed in the corridors between classes. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested for your house team should speak to Madam Hooch."

Several people cheered, and it took a moment for the to settle down before Dumbledore could continue. "And finally, I must inform you that the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds, and will be guarded." Here he looked to Emerald, who gave the slightest of nods. "Now, before we all go to bed and get out rest, let us sing the school song!"

The teacher's smiles began fixed, showing that this was one thing the could do without. The old man flicked his wand, as if getting a fly off the end, and golden ribbon snaked out and formed words. "Everyone pick a tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

With that, the entire school bellowed:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts

Teach us something please

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff

For now they're bare and full of air

Dead flies and bits of fluff

So teach us things worth knowing

Bring back what we've forgot

Just do your best, we'll do the rest

And learn until our brains all rot."

The cacophony of sound was not pleasing for the ears, and when it go to the second line Emerald just covered his ears. He didn't bother singing along, since it was just one big mess of tone deaf children singing a hundred tunes at once. The last people to be going was the two redheaded twins from before, who sang it as a low, slow, funeral march. When they finished, Dumbledore was the one to clap the loudest for them.

He wiped his eyes, "Ah, music, a magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime! Off you trot!" With that said, he sat back down as the students formed sleepy lines, yet another redhead leading the first years out of the hall.

As soon as there were no adults in sight, Emerald groaned and stretched. "'Off you trot'? Does he like to compare us to horses?" Hermione giggled, and Neville did his best to conceal his own laughter. The entirety of their group stopped for a moment, staring at them, before they just shrugged collectively and started walking again. It took several minutes of trudging along and going around in circles it seemed, but they finally reached the portrait of a fairly large woman in a big pink dress.

"Password?" She requested.

"Caput draconis," said the redhead. She nodded, and her portrait swung outward to reveal a hole in the wall. Through it, a large common room with red everywhere was visible. Scrambling through, Emerald helping Neville and Hermione first, they found that there was a roaring fireplace, surrounded by squishy armchairs.

The redhead, who still hadn't introduced himself, showed the girls through one of the doors, and the boys through the other. Emerald just stayed in the common room, watching for any signs of trouble. When it was obvious that everyone had gone to bed, he left through the portrait hole and started roaming the halls, making sure to hide if he saw a professor on patrol. When he found Severus, the man was returning to the dungeons to plot out his lessons and to later get some sleep. They walked in silence for a while, before they parted ways so that Emerald could go watch the third floor corridor.


	9. Teacher Flip Out and Screaming Hats

**AN: Salve! Once again back with Latin, heh. I am posting this a bit early for you guys so I have time to write the update for the start of July. I would like you guys to know that I will be going on vacation for my birthday so I won't be writing for about a week around the tenth to about the fifteenth or so. Luckily, I have a one-shot that has a possibility of being continued, but it is something unexpected. It's for Angel Beats! It was the second anime I ever watched, and I recently rewatched it. Bawled my eyes out again. I'm fine. I am so happy though, because I get to go to Washington DC! I might meet my congressman, but that is unknown until it happens, and I get to tour the White House. I am so excited, so this is my hype for it.**

 **I should get to the story now, huh? I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Giada Draven, out!**

Emerald didn't catch anyone that first night, though he did play with the Cerberus that was guarding a trapdoor. The next morning found him sitting at the Gryffindor table, watching those around him carefully. He could tell that he was being stared at, so he made sure that he didn't move. Glancing up at the sound of paper, he found McGonagall standing above him. "Emerald, I'm going to leave your schedule here, okay? I look forward to seeing you in class today." With that she walked away, off to hand out the other timetables.

He found that he would have Charms first, then History of Magic, and then Transfiguration. After that was Defense Against the Dark Arts, which Emerald thought was stupid. Magic is neither light nor dark, and used based on intent. Waiting on Neville to finish, since Hermione was already done and Emerald doesn't eat all that much, the (current) fox looked at the staff table. He hadn't the night before, scared off by the focus these adults had on the children. Now, though, he noticed the eccentricities of the professors.

The giant that had led them across the lake was sitting in a supersized chair, drinking from a bucket sized mug. His laughter could be heard around the room, and was so joyous you found yourself smiling. Along the line was a very short man, who looked to have some relation to the goblins of Gringotts, and was standing on a stack of books to reach the table. Farther down was a very earthy woman, sporting a tan that spoke of hours on end spent outside. Next to Severus sat a very jittery man, a purple turban bouncing on his head as he stuttered his way through each word.

Using a bit of intent based magic, Emerald could make out the squirrely man to be faking. He was forcing the stutters, and the violent reactions to people making sudden sounds or movements were so over exaggerated that it was a wonder no one had noticed the act. Severus was watching him carefully, and Emerald was thankful that at least _someone_ was not so unobservant as to not notice.

"Hey, Emerald, we're ready," came the voice of Hermione, pulling him away from his observation of the staff. He nodded, glancing around once more before disappearing. He had let out a burst of static, using the slight distraction to teleport outside of the hall.

Neville froze, still not entirely used to his new friend, but Hermione just sighed and grabbed the former's arm, dragging him to where Emerald waited for them. They set off, getting lost only once when Hermione didn't hear Emerald say to take a turn. Finally, they arrived at the Charms classroom, being the first ones there. Emerald smiled, ready for the beginning of this brand new adventure, even if there were adults along the way.

(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

The day progressed slowly, the only true highlight being Transfiguration. Once there, McGonagall was sitting on her desk in her animagus form, notable by the markings around her eyes that resembled her spectacles. After the last boy- Ron Weasley, huffing and out of breath- rushed in, she transformed into herself and took off points for being late.

Her introductory speech was fascinating, and Emerald hung off every word, even though it looked like he was just staring at her. When she let them loose, he pulled out his wand and calmly transformed his matchstick into a needle. McGonagall smiled gently at him but didn't call any attention to him, knowing from her brief experiences with him that he wouldn't enjoy it.

And so, the day calmly continued. As did the next one. On Thursday, he was discretely given a note directing him to the headmaster's office. With a heavy heart, he made his way to the gargoyle and, when his request to get past was rejected, ported onto the stairs that were spiralling upward. Once he reached the large doors, a call of "Enter" had him opening the doors to find Dumbledore surrounded by the four heads of houses, and the sorting hat on a stool behind the desk. The hat glared fearfully at him, and scooted away as much as it could, being a hat.

As soon as he was in view of the headmaster, he was gently guided to what he instantly dubbed the 'interrogation chair'. Looking ahead, he quietly asked, "What is it you wish to speak of?"

Dumbledore inclined his head slightly, the twinkle in his eyes dimmed to barely a spark. "My boy, the hat has brought forward some concerns about the memories he viewed during your sorting."

Not knowing what the hat had told them, he merely cocked his head. "What would be concerning?"

Before Dumbledore could say anything more, the hat began to shout at him. "YOU LITTLE MONSTER! HOW DARE YOU ACT SO INNOCENT WHEN YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAVE DONE? IF I HAD KNOWN WHAT YOU WERE HIDING, I WOULD NEVER HAVE SAID GRYFFINDOR. I WOULD HAVE SAID PRISON." From the shocked looks on the head's faces, it was obvious that only the headmaster had been told what was seen.

Emerald turned into Foxy, the first time he had done so while there. He held up his hook, keeping it in front of him as a means of defense, and not hostile intent. "I do not know what you have been told, professor, but I have done nothing wrong."

Severus was carefully watching this exchange, keeping track of the different reactions. Minerva and Filius were outraged, as they had found the animatronic to be a well behaved student. Pomona was indignant at the treatment of a child. Stepping forward, he looked between Albus and Emerald. "If you could perhaps tell us what the child has done, we could possibly come to a consensus without wasting any more of our time."

Emerald nodded, gradually relaxing, but still tense enough to make a break for it if need be. They all sat, with the youngest on the edge of his seat as if poised for flight. "What is Emerald being accused of?" asked Sprout.

Dumbledore sighed, placing his head in his hands. "The hat is saying that he has murdered, several times."

Then came the explosion. Sprout and Flitwick jumped in front of him, as if to protect him from the accusations. McGonagall looked ready to claw out Dumbledore's eyes. Severus, however, stood back and stared at Emerald. He, being the only one to live in the muggle world, had heard of the tales of night guards going missing. Some of the more creative children reckoned they were killed by something or other, and others thought it was haunted and drove the guards to insanity. Now that he knew his childhood friends were haunting the animatronics, he didn't know what to think. The new night guard, Mike or something, had been adopted by them, Emerald especially, so it was untelling what the actual story was.

Emerald stood, turning into Bonnie so as to use the static to get their attention. "I do not murder people."

The hat shouted, "SO WHAT DO YOU CALL STUFFING THEM INTO SUITS THAT KILL THEM?"

All of the teachers turned to look at him. He glared, backing away. "I was protecting children! Adults like that aren't to be trusted. If I hadn't stopped them, how knows what they would have done? We could have another purple guy on our hands."

Severus finally spoke. "What about us, then? We are adults."

"The others trust you." It was simple. If his family trusted someone, then there is a reason.

Flitwick and Sprout stared at him, so he explained. "Emerald was raised by the spirits of my childhood friends, who were murdered."

Emerald nodded, picking up the story. "Thier souls attached to the animatronic suits that their bodies were stuffed into. Because of the killer wearing the night guard uniform, none of them trust adults. It didn't help that when I came to live with them, I had been an abused child." He kept his face blank, letting that set in.

Sprout was furious that a child, no matter how odd, had been abused. It was common knowledge that abuse victims suffered from fears that came from their abuse. McGonagall was glaring down at the ground, having known that those muggles were the worst sort. Severus stood in the corner, having known all of this from before. Flitwick, however, had caught onto something. "If you were abused before living where you do now, that means you had a name besides Emerald. Who were you before?"

Looking at Severus, who nodded, he spoke. "My name was Harry Potter."


	10. And Suddenly, Quirrellmort

**AN: Guys... I tried, I really did. I tried for you. I have no motivation for this anymore... I promise, I will try not to abandon it, and I have had the 150 review one-shot written for a while. But... I never had a plan in the first place, and people expect me to know what will happen. I don't have a clue. It's touch and go for me. Please, forgive me, but this will become very low on the priority list. I will, of course, not forget about it. I just don't have a good way to work on what is there. I have an idea for later, but I don't know how to get to that point. Please, don't just tell me what's wrong, or yell at me to update. I'm tired. I'm sad. I'm so sorry.**

 **I, of course, own nothing of import.**

 **Giada Draven, out!**

In the next few days, the two heads of houses that hadn't known who he was avoided looking at him. The hat had been told that he was doing what he thought was right, and that since he was not a threat to the students he would be staying.

Emerald slowly began getting used to being in set places at set times, instead of the organized chaos of the pizzeria. Many people still avoided him, especially since he managed the class work easily enough that he was the top in class (discounting Hermione, of course). The only class he really had trouble in was Defense, and only because he seemed to get a headache every time he was near Quirrell. It hadn't started bad, but now that it's nearly a month into term it was almost blinding.

Finally, he ran out of patience and cornered the teacher. "What are you?" he asked, staring hard into the other's eyes while using his hook to push him against the wall.

"E-e-e-emer-al-ald, wh-what are y-you talk-talking ab-out?" Quirrell backed up as far as he could, jumping slightly when his back hit the wall.

"You know exactly what I mean. If you are a threat to any of the children here, I will bring you to the headmaster, and request that you be put into mine and my family's care." Emerald grinned, his teeth looking more shark-like than fox-like.

A sibilant hiss came from the back of the professor's head, and the man himself froze before turning slowly and unwinding his turban. On the back of the man's head was a second face, one that resembled more snake than man. " _So, it seems that the new element in this school has figured me out,"_ came the voice, holding the same faint hissing undertone as Nathair.

Emerald nodded. "And this is enough to prove to me that you are not here for the good of the children." He reached forward to grab Quirrell's arm, but when they made contact they (being the two people and the extra entity) all let out a sharp hiss of pain.

The air was charged as they stared at each other, and nothing could disturb the tense atmosphere. Then, it was a sudden struggle for Quirrell to get away and for Emerald to trap him. To Emerald, it was all a blur, only snippets of him turning into a bunny to teleport after the older and him finding various dead ends that weren't so dead.

Finally, he managed to tackle Quirrell to the ground, ignoring the burning pain as he began the slow, painful trek to the headmaster's office. Close to halfway there, close to the third floor, Quirrell once again slipped free. The second entity seemed to take control, as he began to gloat about the power of the dark, and that "You, as a creature," should join them. Finally, Emerald got fed up and went to tackle again, but the other twisted so that it was very awkward, the rabbit holding the ex-professor's face. However, both began screaming in pain, Quirrell begging the voice, whom he called 'My Lord', to let him go, the so-called Lord about "How _dare_ you attack the Dark Lord Voldemort?!" Emerald was just holding on, trying to not lose consciousness and hoping that he drove away the harmful being.

With one final burst of magic into the air and into his opponent, Emerald slumped over, and before he passed out he saw Quirrell burn to ashes, only he was missing the flames as a dark shadow flew away from them. ' _Let him never harm another child'_ he thought, before completely collapsing as the sounds of rushed footsteps came from the far end of the corridor.


End file.
